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University policy regarding faculty code of professional ethics

The faculty of the university subscribes to the principle of the 1940 "Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure" adopted by the American association of university professors. Within the rationale in the AAUP statement, it is emphasized that academic freedom is necessary to the mission of the faculty of a university, since it is eminently in the interest of society that, without fear of retribution, the professor should be free to conduct research and make public its results and to teach his/her subject in the classroom. Professional responsibility is a logical correlative of this freedom.

This code of ethics sets forth those responsibilities which as the correlatives of academic freedom are incumbent in every facet of university life, but attempts to treat those that are most important and common. The spirit of this document as a whole should be easily applied to any specific situation not considered.

Responsibility to students.

The faculty members' central responsibility to their students is to attempt to impart a knowledge and understanding of a field of study to develop in students appropriate and relevant skills, and to do so in accordance with the best standards of scholarship and pedagogy in the discipline.

Faculty members have a responsibility to their students to entertain all questions relevant to the subject matter being taught and to discuss such questions, even if controversial, objectively.

Faculty members are responsible for providing instruction in the announced subject matter of the course, although they are free to interrelate the subject matter of the course to those contemporary issues that are relevant to the purposes and the subject matter of the course.

Faculty members should guard the classroom against external pressures, including the student's fear that what they do or say in the honest pursuit of intellectual inquiries will affect rating within a course, future chances of employment, or later standing in the community.

Faculty members shall not exploit students for personal purposes either in or out of the classroom.

Faculty members should deal with students justly and impartially, regardless of their physical, mental, emotional, political, economic, social, racial, or religious characteristics or participation in extracurricular activities.

Faculty members should not do, with or without pay, such academic work as is properly to be done by the student.

Faculty members are expected to accept and carry out faithfully those duties central to the instructional commitment they have with their students including prompt and regular meeting of classes and student advising and consultation.

Faculty members should strive for a timely, just, and unprejudiced appraisal of all student work. Faculty members owe students the right of review of their work and grades given, and in case of serious grievance or dispute, the right of appeal.

Faculty members should secure permission and give credit for the use of original student contributions in their lectures or publications, in the same manner and degree as for materials from other sources.

Faculty members should encourage and protect honest performance by the student. They should pursue suspected cases of cheating and plagiarism by students.

Faculty members should not disclose confidential information about their students except as required by law or provided for by university regulations and procedures.

Responsibility to university.

In activities in which faculty members engage outside the university, it is plainly their responsibility to make it clear, when circumstances require, that they are acting as individuals and not as representatives of the university.

Faculty members should maintain in strict confidence all departmental or university matters agreed to be confidential. If any issue or matter is of such a nature that a faculty member, as a matter of conscience must speak out, this intention should be stated beforehand to all concerned.

Faculty members who seek modification or alteration of policy shall make every reasonable effort to carry their cases through governance channels.

Responsibility to profession.

Faculty members should seek and state the truth in their discipline as they see it. To this end they shall continue such studies and research as are necessary to remain current in their field.

It is the faculty members' responsibility to guard their freedom to inquire and to state the results of inquiry in lectures, publications, or other appropriate modes of expression.

Faculty members shall comment in candor and fairness on the work of colleagues when properly requested through duly constituted academic and faculty agencies and when in accordance with established policy.

Faculty members shall avoid personal attacks on colleagues and disparagement of other disciplines or programs, although reasoned criticism is recognized as legitimate.

Faculty members shall neither practice nor condone plagiarism in lectures, publications, or other public presentations, nor attach their name for credit to a paper or publication toward which they have made no professional contribution.